Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Chronicle Reporter
ON Thursday, the Council For The Blind Zimbabwe will join the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in celebrating World Sight Day.
Every year on the second Thursday of October, spotlight is shone on eye care and this year’s World Sight Day carries forward that idea.
Under the theme, “Love Your Eyes” the IAPB encourages individuals to take care of their own eye health and draws attention to over a billion people worldwide who have vision loss and do not have access to eye care services.
World Sight Day 2022, coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), aims to raise awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major global public health and development issues.
Head of Programmes for the Council For The Blind, Busisiwe Mzyece said the day is important for the eye sector.
“World Sight Day is commemorated every second Thursday of October annually and this year it will be commemorated on the 13th of October. This is a very important date for the eye sector. The theme this year is the same as last year’s ‘#Love your eyes’. The Council for the Blind in Zimbabwe is taking this opportunity to join IAPB and other eye partners in commemorating this wonderful day, ” she said.
Mzyece also said the Council For The Blind is challenging everyone to have their eyes regularly checked and decision makers to prioritise eye health.
“We challenge members of the public to have their eyes checked regularly and decision makers to look at eye health as part of the bigger picture in terms of its impact in economic growth, citizens’ well-being and the impact of inaccessible health.
“Zimbabwe Council For The Blind has been doing screening since 12 September in schools, communities and workplaces as a build up to this day. The finale being; cataract surgeries, diabetic retinopathy consultations and eye screening in the following centres Masvingo Provincial, Chiredzi District Hospital, Norton Eye Unit, Marondera Eye Unit and Richard Morris, ” she said.
This year, Council For The Blind is joining World Sight Day and #LoveYourEyes organisers, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to challenge five million people globally to pledge to have their sight checked before World Sight Day.
Chief Executive Officer of IAPB, Peter Holland said the foundation laid through last year’s celebrations gives them the impetus to push for more success this year.
“The success of last year’s World Sight Day and the Love Your Eyes campaign was unparalleled and showed the true power of what can be achieved when the sector comes together. This year we will continue to build and put more resources behind World Sight Day as a global moment in time to remind us all to #LoveYourEyes. We look forward to working with the eye health sector and members of the public to spread that message far and wide, ” he said. – @eMKlass_49
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